New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed Uttar Pradesh government to constitute a committee which would accept and decide the applications from candidates seeking appointment as primary teachers on the ground that they have been successful in Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).

A bench, comprising Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit, asked the Secretary of Basic Shiksha Board of the state to set up a panel for the purposes of recruitment of teachers within three weeks.

The court also finalised the issues, to be decided by it, which included as to whether the marks obtained in TET can be the sole criterion for appointment as teachers.

The apex court, hearing a batch of appeals against the Allahabad High Court's decision to strike down UP's decision to regularise contractual teachers in primary schools, however, today did not pass any order.

The bench also directed Uttar Pradesh government to inform it about the total number of vacancies for teachers on December 7, the next date of hearing.

Additional Advocate General Gaurav Bhatia, appearing for the state government, apprised the bench about the steps taken towards appointment of teachers.

He said that so far, a total vacancy of 72,825 has been advertised, out of which 43,077 posts have already been filled till September 24 after they completed training.

"15,058 primary teachers were still to appear for examinations on November 16 and 17," he added.

A special three-judge High Court bench had quashed the amendments brought in the state education department's rules whereby nearly 1.71 lakh contractual teachers, popularly known as "Shiksha Mitras", were being regularised.

The court had ruled that the state government's move violated the norms laid down by National Council for Teachers' Education (NCTE) as well as the provisions of Right to Education Act, 2010.

Nearly 59,000 contractual teachers were regularized in the first phase in June, 2014 followed by another 73,000 in the second phase in June this year.